Press Release
from The Foundation for the
Advancement of Sephardic Studies and Culture

Release date: February
7, 1997

Contact: Robert Bedford
info@ sephardicstudies.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LADINO REVERIES
Tales of the Sephardic Experience in America by Hank Halio

Even though Hank Halio,
author of Ladino Reveries: Tales of the Sephardim in America, directs his
book to the first-generation of Sephardim born in the United States, many
of those second-generation born Americans who long to know of their grandparents'
traditions will benefit the most from his stories. Unfortunately, in their
ardent desire to be American, the first-generation Sephardim did not, for
the most part, extend their language and culture to their children. Mr.
Halio, however, does succeed in passing the torch by giving the reader access
to some of what was missed, and by bringing to life long-forgotten Ladino
words and expressions. Beyond offering nostalgia, Ladino Reveries connects
us to the sayings, wisdom, folklore, and ambiance that constituted the lives
of Sephardic families in America.

Hank Halio, one of
the last surviving members of this American-born generation, has made it
his mission to present with simplicity and humor the expressions, stories,
proverbs, and songs that he heard from the adults around him. He offers
us glimpses into how Sephardic families -- newly arrived from Greece, Turkey,
and the Balkans -- celebrated holidays, socialized, cooked meals, and told
stories -- always ending with an important moral lesson, exemplified so
well in the 'Djoha' tales.

From food to festivals
Mr. Halio gives us an intimate peek into the everyday lives of these Sephardic
immigrants. The chapter on food makes one's mouth water, with mention of
kyoftes de prasa (meat patties with leeks), pishkado kon guevo i limon (fish
with egg an lemon sauce), and yaprak (grape leaves stuffed with rice and
ground meat). The Jewish holidays also come to life, especially with Mr.
Halio's description of Purim, when Sephardic custom entitled the children
to bring bags of goodies including such delicacies as baklava to neighbors
and family, who would in return shower the children with coins. On Passover,
Sephardic families would conduct their Seders in Hebrew and Ladino and sing
the Ladino rendition of Had Gadya.

One of the most wonderful
aspects of this book is Mr. Halio's collection of the many sayings and proverbs
(refranes) that were common in Sephardic households. They represent the
rich oral tradition that had been handed down from generation to generation.
Some examples are "El haragan es konsejero" - The lazy one is
an advisor) and this jewel: "Dos amigos con una chanta, uno konta,
el otro yorra" - Two friends with one bankroll, one counts, the other
cries.

In a detailed account
of Sephardic language, culture, and customs, Mr. Halio includes Ladino bar
mitzvah speeches given by Sephardic boys in the '30s and '40s, and lists
Sephardic-owned grocery shops and coffee houses in Brooklyn, the Bronx and
New Jersey, popular at that time. This kind of material would be lost forever
had Mr. Halio not preserved it in his book. Mr. Halio also brings to light
the customs that were particular to the Sephardim, such as the mortaja,
the party thrown when Sephardic women finished sewing a death shroud. In
many of Mr. Halio's anecdotes, we also learn how the Sephardic immigrants
struggled to navigate the landscape of Yiddish-speaking neighbors and shopkeepers,
who often refused to believe that they were fellow Jews. It was all the
more reason for the Sephardim to celebrate their own heritage.

Mr. Halio tells us
that his purpose is not to bring about a renaissance of Djudeo-Espanol (another
term for Ladino -- the Castillian language that the Jews from Spain brought
with them to the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century) nor to provide a history
of the Spanish Jews, but rather to "remind [us] of our glorious past,
to bring back loving memories of our parents and grandparents who spoke
Ladino." We know that Hank Halio meets every week with other first-generation
Sephardic Jews, all members of the Sephardic Social Club of Florida. In
informal sessions they continue to recall the expressions and customs of
their parents, and in Ladino Reveries Mr. Halio relates these anecdotes,
and credits his willing contributors. It's been written many times that
the Ladino language, and the culture of the Sephardim, are struggling for
survival. Without doubt, Mr. Halio's book will help preserve it for many
generations to come.